Never is Always
by Misaki234
Summary: When a lonely Hermione wanders into a Muggle pub, the last person she expected to see was the presumed dead man, and the love of her life...HG/SS
1. Chapter 1

Okay, well, this is just a little thing that I came up with whilst my internet wasn't working over Christmas. You could consider it a Christmas gift but I don't do Christmas so HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

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><p>Hermione rubbed her eyes with her sleeve before staring at the glass of whisky in front of her. She had never liked whisky, but the burn that accompanied it down told her that she was still alive and kicking.<p>

Well, she was still alive.

She had come home earlier that evening in an attempt to surprise Ron with a spontaneous dinner (Chinese from the local Muggle takeaway down the road) and then a bout of love-making that would last until the early hours of the morning.

What she had not expected was to walk in and see Ron's perfectly formed ass (thank you, Chudley Cannons, for hiring him out of school) flexing and releasing as he pumped into some blonde busty bimbo on their sofa. The wet sounds of the food hitting the floor had alerted him to her presence, and he paused for a moment to look at her.

"You said that you didn't mind," he shot at her, before smiling back down at the blonde who was looking wide-eyed at them both and then continuing his movements.

As Hermione felt the sorrow and self-pity seep into her bones, she was pitifully aware that she had agreed to Ron's little endeavours, especially after she decided that she didn't find him attractive any more. To be honest, she wasn't sure if she ever loved him, because her heart always belonged to someone else. A dead man. A man who died a traitor but who was a hero.

She had apparated to the nearest pub, a Muggle one, and had promptly ordered the whisky and had sat at the bar for the last hour, downing shots one after the other. As her head began to spin, she realised that she had had too many, but she had no one to contact to take her home.

Home.

That was a funny word. She wasn't even sure if she had a home. She had lived in that house with Ron for the last five years of her life, moving into it straight out of school with Harry and Ginny, until the Potters had got married, fallen pregnant and decided they needed their own space. But she had never really considered it to be a home. She was always constantly on edge when it came to Ron being in the house. He was always a lovely person and never violent, but sometimes his teasing remarks were catty and hurt her deeply. She had tried to change for him but he had never done so for her, making her fall out of lust with him. Their relationship had been one of convenience, formed out of a mutual attraction, and kept because it was what was expected. Everyone had expected them to get together and live their lives happily ever after, but those sorts of things never worked out.

She felt the moisture building up behind her eyes and she blinked it away viciously, determined not to cry in front of all these men. If she had been in her right mind, she supposed that she should have been weary of being in a pub with just men, but she just didn't care.

"Are you actually going to drink that?" A friendly voice asked.

"I don't know," Hermione sighed, looking up at the bartender, a young man with a beautiful smile. "I just don't know."

"Had a rough night?" He enquired, taking a break to talk to the lonely woman.

"You could say that," she picked up her glass, poured the liquid into her mouth and tilted her head back, feeling it slid down her throat, leaving that burning trail behind that she craved. "I walked in on my boyfriend with another woman."

"Oh, my dear, that's terrible," he said sympathetically. "First time he's done it?"

"Nope, I told him he could do it whenever," Hermione saw the look of confusion on the bartender's face. "I don't love him; we're together because we're expected to be together. I had hoped to try and change things tonight between us, to try and make things work, but seeing him with that woman made me realise just how pathetic my life truly is."

"Sweetheart, you should only ever be with someone because you love them, not because you have to be," he replied, pouring her a glass of water. "Stop drinking so you can sober up before you go home. Call a taxi or something, there's been a gentleman over in the corner who had been watching you most of the time you've been here."

Hermione smiled sweetly at him before turning her head as if she were just casually looking around the room, before her eyes settled on that man in the corner. Her heart stopped beating, her face drained pale and she gasped out loud.

"Oh my fucking god," she uttered a rare swear word as she placed her hand over her heart. "Does he come here often?"

"Yeah, this is his usual haunt," the bartender said. "Do you know him?"

"What's his name?" Hermione asked.

"Tobias, Tobias Prince," He answered. "Love, are you okay?"

"Yeah, sorry, I haven't seen him in years," Hermione managed a brief smile. "It's a shock, that's all. Please, excuse me."

She hopped off the bar stool, quickly drank the glass of water before wandering through the throng of men staring at the football match on the television screen to stop before the table in the corner. The man looked at her coldly, reminiscent of previous times, when his black eyes scolded her as his velvet voice did and his dark hair swung forwards to conceal the frown lines in his face.

"Tobias Prince?" She scoffed. "You could have come up with something better than that."

"You expect me to bother to find a better name when everyone believes me to be dead?" His voice was just as she remembered, and she was shocked to realise that it still made her knees weak to hear him speak.

"But you died," Hermione stuttered, as he fixed his gaze upon her, causing her to become extremely nervous. "Nagini…"

"Honestly, foolish girl, do you truly believe that I would be thwarted by some snake-like imbecile and his familiar?" He hissed at her. "I stayed long enough to do what I had to and then when you all left me there to die, I vanished."

"You had stopped breathing; there was no pulse!" Hermione cried out, desperate to defend what had occurred.

"I thought you were supposed to be intelligent, girl! Your Gryffindorish stupidity certainly shined through in that moment, surely you must know that there is a potion that delivers the same symptoms as death when administered?"

"Professor, please," Hermione felt the tell-tale prickle of tears at his harsh words.

"I have not been a professor for six years now, Miss Granger," his voice was hard but truthful. "Do not call me that."

"What do you expect me to call you then?" She asked, fighting back the tears.

"I expect you to leave me alone, fuck off out of that door and never talk to me again," he sneered.

That was it, she couldn't hold back any longer. It had been a terrible night, and now he was being unnecessarily cruel to her and she simply couldn't take it. She began to cry, softly at first but then full out sobs that forced her to take the chair opposite him before she fell to her knees.

"Oh, for goodness sake," she heard him mutter before a material was pressed into her hand.

She realised it was a handkerchief and wiped at her eyes with it, blowing her nose on it also as she calmed herself down. When she looked at him he was staring at her intently, and she ducked her head in embarrassment.

"Miss Granger, I…." he hesitated for a moment then.

"Sir, please don't," Hermione put her hand up in defeat. "I can't take any more of your cruelty tonight, I have suffered enough."

"You mean with Mr 'dunderhead' Weasley," his tone seemed ever so slightly softer, although she wouldn't have sworn it on her life.

"You eavesdropped," she blurted out, watching mild amusement play out across his face.

"Of course I did," he raised an eyebrow. "One of my former pupils, the constant thorn in my side walks into the pub I frequent and then attempts to drown herself in alcohol. Of course I eavesdropped. Although, I must say, yours and Weasley's relationship was doomed from the beginning."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"You are far more intelligent than he is, all he wants is a sexual partner and a broodmare. You wanted companionship, an intellectual equal and, above all, a friend," Snape said simply. "You always were better than him. Smarter, prettier, braver, more loyal."

"Sir, are you complimenting me?" Hermione fought back a giggle.

"No, I was merely stating facts," he said standoffishly.

"You said I was pretty," Hermione shot back.

"I said you were prettier than Weasley; that is hardly difficult," He growled.

"Oh, please, you think I'm pretty," Hermione grinned when he refused to answer. "Oh, you do!"

"You left me to die, I hardly think you deserve an answer," he said harshly, seeing the smile fall from her face.

"Do you want to know something? You are a right bastard!" Hermione stood up and threw the handkerchief at him. "I knelt beside you, covered in your fucking blood, desperately trying to heal you, to save you, and you were going to live all along. I suffered from nightmares for years because of that moment, because I couldn't save you! And you dare say that I left you! Fuck you!"

She turned on her heels and fled, her tears renewed in her pain as she flew out of the door and onto the empty street. It was now one o'clock in the morning, and she felt the slight chill in the air without her coat, dressed only in her simple wrap-around dress from work. She wrapped her arms around herself and began to walk down the street, unable to apparate because of her state of mind but determined to reach her house in order to kick her ex out of their shared bed and tell him to find his own bed to sleep in.

A few moments after she began walking, she heard a footstep behind her. When she turned around, there was no one there. She put it down to paranoia after the war and had begun to walk again when she heard another footstep, this one much closer. She paused, reaching up her leg to where her wand was holstered on her upper thigh but by the time she turned around, he had already caught up with her.

"If that were anyone else, girl, you'd be dead or being dragged down the nearest alley," Snape said angrily at her, his hand grasping her wand wrist to stop her cursing him.

"If it were anyone else, Professor, they would not be walking," she hissed back at him, and in that instant he felt slight pressure on the crotch of his trousers and, looking down, was surprised to see a six-inch blade pointing at his jewels.

"Clever," he nodded his approval as he released her wrist. "I see you have grown up."

"You knew I was capable anyway," Hermione snarled at him at she retracted the blade of the knife and holstered it once more, revealing much of her thigh as she did so. "After the war…"

"During the war, you were absolutely terrible, relying on luck to see you through rather than actual skill," Snape said.

"I am aware of this," Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "However, after the war, I was attacked by Voldemort supporters and put in hospital. During my time in there, I realised that I was weak and needed to learn how to defend myself so I took lessons from various aurors and Muggle martial arts classes."

"Good idea," Snape nodded his approval as he looked her up and down. "You've changed."

"I grew up," Hermione began to walk again. "I had to grow up. My parents weren't around, a lot of my surrogate family were killed in the Battle of Hogwarts and I lost the man I loved."

"The man you loved?" Snape had caught up with her and whirled her around. "Who was that?"

"Oh, you would laugh at me if you knew," Hermione sighed. "He was unsuitable."

"Unsuitable?" Snape thought for a moment. "One of the Weasley brothers?"

"No."

"Potter."

"God, no! He was someone older."

"Lupin."

"Gross!"

He tugged her closer to him, tilted her head up to maintain eye contact and then whispered the last name he could think of.

"Me."

Her reaction was immediate. Her eyes first glistened with tears before steeling themselves and she began to fight to get free of him.

"You loved me," Snape tried to get his head around the notion of the young, pretty Gryffindor loving him, but he simply couldn't. "Why?"

"How could I not?" She stopped struggling. "First day of school, you enchanted me with your passion for potions, showing you to be an intelligent being. You rebuked me on many occasions, but most of the time it made me realise that the path I was taking was wrong. You were a Death Eater, but you fought valiantly for the light, showing both heroism and bravery. But most of all, it was your voice."

"My voice?" he was taken-abavk.

"Oh yes, your voice," she said dreamily, fully aware that if she weren't inebriated she wouldn't be saying any of this. "I would sit in your class during your lectures, writing down notes but secretly getting turned on by your voice, your sexy, sexy voice."

Snape gulped at her words and at the seductive tone she was taking on.

"Miss Granger, it is not funny to take the piss out of me," He shook her slightly.

"I'm not taking the piss," she answered. "Take me to yours and I'll prove it."

As tempting as that sounded (poor Snape had not had any action for about three years, and even that was unsatisfactory sex with a hooker), he knew that she was too drunk and would regret this in the morning. However, it wasn't wise for her to head home in this state. Knowing her and her long list of known spells, she would put Ron in hospital and herself in Askaban with the way she was at the moment. So he grabbed hold of her and apparated them both to his home, a rather picturesque cottage on the top of a hill in the middle of nowhere.

"Oh I didn't think you'd agreed," Hermione gasped, pressing herself against him.

He found himself involuntarily responding to her young, firm body, and when her hands slid down his back and reached her bottom, he pointed his wand at her and sent her to sleep. He looked down at the now sleeping girl in his arms and sighed.

_Stupid Gryffindors._

He picked her up and carried her into the guest bedroom, taking off her shoes before, in one swift flick, divesting her of her clothes and instantly dressing her in an old shirt of his. He pulled a blanket over her before retreating to his own room, flicking his own clothes off until he was just left in his boxers and then collapsing onto the bed, falling asleep instantly.

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><p>The next morning he awoke to the smell of coffee and bacon. The previous night's events all came rushing back to him and he groaned, knowing that it was that insolent girl (<em>woman<em>, his brain supplied unhelpfully) who was still in his house cooking breakfast. He pulled on his dressing gown and then traipsed down to the kitchen, encountering Hermione dressing in his shirt, her hair loose down her back, dancing around to a song that was playing out of the Muggle radio.

"Good morning, sir," She greeted him cheerfully, handing him a plate with bacon and eggs on. "I hope you don't mind, I cooked breakfast as repayment for last night."

"Miss Granger…"

"Hermione, please," she turned her beautiful brown eyes on him.

"Hermione, fine," he mumbled. "Look, what do you want to do?"

"What do you propose we do?" She asked.

"You declared that you loved me last night," He said.

"I know," she sat down opposite him with just a cup of black coffee.

"What do you expect me to do about it?"

"What do you want to do about it?"

"Stop answering my questions with a question!" He yelled. Much to his annoyance, she barely batted an eyelid at his raised voice, choosing instead to sip her coffee, looking at him over the edge of the mug. "I can't do much for you about this. I am a dead man to the world, not rich, not attractive, not anything much. You would be better off searching for someone else."

"Been there, done that, didn't work," she said dismissively. "Spent the whole time thinking of you."

"What makes you think I return the feelings?" Snape asked, aware that he was clutching at loose ends.

"I don't think you do," Hermione placed the mug on the table. "I have no romantic notion that you will ever care for me as I do for you, but I would like to experience you once."

"What do you mean?" Snape felt his heart paused briefly.

"I propose that we have sex," Hermione said. "Neither of us have nothing to lose. I would like to feel what real sex is like, not the mundane crap that I was subjected to with Ron, and I'm sure you're gagging for a lay."

"Crude language from an apparent lady," Snape observed, unsure of what to make of this.

"Oh will you be serious for once!" She stood up, her hands flat on the table as she leaned over to him. "I want you, you want sex, why not just go with it?"

"I don't cuddle," Snape said obstinately.

"I never liked cuddling in bed," Hermione answered.

"I'm not gentle."

"Hate being gentle, too boring."

"I like spanking…"

At this Hermione's eyes just lit up and he couldn't take it anymore. He shoved the table out of the way and grabbed hold of the insolent chit, kissing her hard, feeling her both relax and tense under the kiss.

"Get over my knee," he ordered, breaking the kiss and sitting down.

She instantly laid across his lap, her legs spread slightly so he could see her lacy black knickers underneath.

"How often do you wear sexy underwear, Hermione?" He asked, tracing the edge of them around her buttocks.

"I don't own a set of unsexy underwear," she breathed back.

As he removed hers, taking them down her lovely long legs, he found himself wondering if that was true. There was an overwhelming urge to stay around and test that theory with lots more sex but he pushed that thought away as he lifted up her (his) shirt to reveal a perfect bottom. He then began to spank her with his hand, watching red marks flare up on her cheeks as she writhed under his hand. He knew he wasn't hurting her much, for the musky scent of her arousal was clear on the air, and he couldn't take it.

He slipped his hand between her folds and began to play, causing Hermione to cry out and try to shift to get a better position, but he stopped her. When he slid a finger up inside her, he felt just how wet she was and he groaned, his erection now begging for him to take her.

"Get on your hands and knees," he said, and she stood up, her breasts heaving as she took off the shirt first, revealing the matching bra which quickly joined the growing pile of clothes on the floor.

For the first time, Snape could see her body, and it was obviously perfect. It would be – she was a Gryffindor and too good for him. He faltered a moment until she assumed the position he had asked of her and had her ass up in the air, waiting for him to take her.

He slipped off the dressing gown and removed his boxers, taking his sizeable penis in hand, before getting on his knees behind her.

"Brace yourself," he warned, before he entered her in one fell swoop, not taking the time to allow her to adjust before pulling out and diving back in, hitting her hard and fast once he had found the perfect rhythm. She was crying out now, especially as he grabbed her shoulder with one hand and wrapped her hair around his other hand and pulled, jerking her head back up and gaining more leverage to fuck her harder.

He slammed into her and felt her come around him. He rode through the tightness as she screamed her orgasm, and felt his impending fall. Knowing that the end was near he rode her with renewed vigour, almost hurting her with his fierceness, but she came once more, pushing him over the edge with her fluttering walls.

He quickly pulled out of her and sat back in the chair whilst she collapsed on the floor, exhausted.

When he looked at her he felt an acute pain in his chest, and he suddenly felt overwhelming tired. Hermione Granger, insufferable know-it-all, had given him her body because she loved him, and he had taken advantage of her feelings. For years she had mourned him because she believed he was dead, and when she had been drunk he had forced her feelings out of her.

"I'm sorry," he muttered.

"What for?" She raised her head off the ground.

"For taking advantage of you like I did," Snape closed his eyes in self-hatred.

"I took advantage of you," She sat up now, staring at him disbelievingly.

"This will never happen again," he declared, and her face crumpled in front of him. He oculdn't stand seeing women cry, but it was for the best. "It was a bad idea and you're just going to get hurt."

"I'm already hurting," She whimpered slightly.

"You told me it would be a one-off thing," he said.

"I wanted it to be more," Hermione bit her lip. "I was hoping we could do this regularly."

"Not a good idea," he answered her, avoiding her eyes. "You should go."

She looked up at him from the floor, not understanding his constant change in behaviour. One moment he was horrible, then kind, then cruel. He stood up, yanked her onto her feet and then pulled her along so she was on his doorstep. He quickly summoned all of her clothes and threw them at her, unable to look at her. If he were to look at the sadness on the compassionate and caring woman's face, he wouldn't be able to turn her away.

It was for her own good.

As he slammed the door on her, he heard a faint sentence from her.

"I'm sorry I'm not Lily."

He slid down the door, resting his head against the cool wood, unaware that a crying Hermione was doing the same on the other side.

_Face it, numbskull, you'd only corrupt her…._

Snape could never argue against his conscience, especially when he knew it was right.

Hermione was pure, and she deserved someone much better, even if during a single drunken night, she had managed to worm her way under his mask and latch onto his soul, binding her to his thoughts for all eternity.

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><p>The next week at work, a determined Hermione focused on the task at hand, ignoring her broken heart which throbbed whenever she thought of that morning. She had come to the conclusion that she had simply sprung her feelings on him too quickly, and hadn't even bothered to get to know him first.<p>

If only she hadn't been drinking.

She sighed and sat back on her chair, unable to concentrate. Just in that moment, an owl came flying in through her open window and deposited a letter in front of her. She recognised the scrawl and her heart thumped.

_Hermione,_

_I want to apologise profusely for how I behaved the other day. It was rude of me. I'm not the person I used to be – I like to think I am much fairer and not so much of an ass, but I wasn't very fair to you. I took advantage of your feelings and when you wished to discuss the situation with me, I threw you out (naked, as well, what sort of person am I?) However, I have come to realise that I enjoyed your company, if only for a few short hours, and if you could forgive a cruel man his dastardly deeds, I would be delighted to take you out for dinner, where we will discuss the future together._

_Yes, if you accept, it will be a date, and yes, dress smartly._

_A truly idiotic man,_

_Severus Snape_

She couldn't help but smile at the letter, and she wrote a short reply to him before attaching it to the owl and sending it off.

In the kitchen of the cottage sat atop the hill, the dark haired man received the response and allowed a rare smile to grace his face.

_Severus,_

_Yes, absolutely yes._

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><p>Okay, this is supposed to be a one-shot but if enough people ask me I may continue it :)<p>

review guys!

Becky


	2. Chapter 2

Hey here is another chapter, based about 3 months on from the last one. It's a little filler for all my reviewers :) I am planning on writing another chapter to discuss the development between the characters so please keep that in mind. I hope it is worth the wait. I apologise for the long delay in uploading this chapter; I just haven't had the time because I'm hitting my A-level exams now so I'm panicking! Please, enjoy the chapter though!

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><p>Hermione pulled the stockings up her legs and fastened them to the bottom of her black corset with a satisfying snap. With the slipping of her feet into the stilettos on the floor in front of her, her outfit was complete. She was ready to bag her man.<p>

Well, she had already bagged him. Severus Snape was the love of her life and he knew it, treating her like a princess with fancy dinners and dances under the moonlight. Throughout the last three months, she had been shown a side of him she had never known before, a softer, kinder side to the man. She was fully aware that he was scarred, both physically and mentally, from the two wizarding wars, but apart from him chucking her out naked that one time, he had acted as if he were normal.

Almost normal. Since that fateful morning long ago when he had lost control over her admittance to adoring spanking, he hadn't touched her. Oh, there were kisses that were passionate enough to enflame her body, but he had always left her on the doorstop, declining her offer to come in. Now it had reached the point where Hermione was frustrated, her own hand no longer enough and she had decided to take matters into her own hands.

That's why she had brought this lingerie earlier in the week from a lovely muggle shop called Ann Summers. A tight black corset, green and black lacy knickers (oh, she couldn't abide thongs!), stockings and then her wonderful stilettos. Hermione flicked her wand a couple of times to ensure that her hair remained in its perfection and her make-up did not smear.

Once she was satisfied with the result, she sat down on the chair and watched the door, counting down the seconds until he arrived.

KNOCK!

She jumped up out of the chair and hurried over to the door, pausing for just a second to plaster on a winning smile (Witch Weekly's Most Fabulous Smile for the last three years running) and then opened the door.

"Oh, it's you," the smile fell from her face as she stared at the red-head.

"Hermione, I…wow, you look amazing," Ron looked stunned.

Hermione felt a rush of confidence at his speechlessness and decided to remain that way, fighting the urge to cover herself up in order to prove to him that she was secretly a sex kitten and needed to be stroked. Not a boring bookworm who was completely crap in the sack.

"Ronald, this isn't really a good time," Hermione appeared to be disinterested, picking at her nails.

"I want us to get back together," He blurted out, his eyes fixed on her chest, which was enhanced by the corset. "Hermione, I've missed you so much."

"Groupies no longer doing it for you?" Hermione tutted, fixing her hazel eyes on him. "You should've thought of that before you starting fucking them."

"You said I could," Ron whinged.

"Ronald Weasley, I accepted what I had to," Hermione drew herself up to her full height, and she was slightly dismayed to realise that she was still a head shorter than him in her heels. "You treated me like shit. You brought home a different whore every weekend and fucked them in our bed! Well, I've moved on to someone else and I don't need you anymore. Go away, Ronald, I'm not interested."

"Harry told me you were seeing someone else," Ron said quietly. "I didn't believe him. Are you wearing that for him?"

"No, Ronald, I walk around like this all the time at home," Hermione sighed exasperatedly.

"Who is he?" He asked.

"None of your business," Hermione said briskly. "Now, do me a favour and fuck off, will you?"

And with that, she slammed the door in his face, instantly breaking out into fits of laughter. She couldn't believe the look on his face when he saw her dressed up like that!

She had only been there about thirty seconds when the door went again, and she opened it to see the man that she had been waiting for.

"Hello, professor," she said, in what she hoped was a seductive voice. "Why don't you come in?"

Severus stepped into the flat. When she closed the door and went to kiss him, he held her away at arm's length, a scowl on his face.

"What are you wearing?" He sneered. "It's disgusting."

Hermione swallowed hard at the look in his eyes and bit her lip, embarrassment causing her skin to flush red.

"I thought you might like it," She said, her mouth suddenly dry.

"I hate it," he said dismissively. "Go get changed into something else. Something less slutty."

Hermione nodded, her head down. She had barely taken two steps away from him when the rejection washed over her and she began to cry, the humiliation and callousness of his tone causing her to feel stupid. He didn't make a move to comfort her, even when she glanced back at him with wet eyes, and she took off her stilettos so she could run down into her bedroom and sob into her pillow. She had no idea why he had reacted that way, but his words had hurt her deeply.

After a few minutes she stripped down to nothing and then found out a set of black underwear, a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt with a dipped front. It didn't show any cleavage, and the ensemble was the most conservative outfit she owned. Hermione dried her eyes and then walked out into her living room, where Severus had sat down on the sofa.

"I ordered take-away since you didn't bother to cook dinner," he said coldly.

"Dinner wasn't on my mind this evening," Hermione muttered to him, sitting down on the chair furthest away from him.

"I gathered as much," he bit back.

Hermione couldn't abide being spoken to the way he was, and she began to feel rage seeping through her. He had completely humiliated her, stamped all over her feelings and then he just sat there and insulted her for not cooking dinner!

"Do you want to know something?" Hermione said suddenly, her eyes starting to flash. He looked up at her. "I spent over an hour getting ready for you, spent a hundred pounds on that outfit as well, for you to tell me that I basically look like a slut! Thanks for that, you twat."

"I don't appreciate being called that," he stood up, his stance angry.

"I don't appreciate you making me cry and then not even comforting me!" Hermione's voice rose. "You're a fucking prick."

"I don't like lingerie," Severus snarled.

"I don't like your attitude," Hermione stepped closer to him. "You could've just said that!"

They stared at each other, both enraged but neither saying another word. In an instant, the mood changed, and they ran towards one another, crashing their lips together in a battle of dominance. Although Hermione knew she could never win against the stubborn, yet wonderful man, she gave it her best shot.

He pushed her against the living room wall, his hands all over her body. When his lips moved to her neck and then his teeth attacked the sensitive skin there, Hermione moaned loudly, threading her hands through his silky hair to hold him against her.

Severus managed to undress her within seconds, and before she knew it, she was writhing under his lips on her bare skin, begging him to take her. She fumbled with his belt as he bit her nipple, and finally his erection sprang free.

Before she could even touch it, he lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and then sank down onto his penis, groaning out loud at feeling the hard shaft embedded in her once more.

"I've wanted you since that morning," she breathed into his ear. "I've been waiting too long."

"I waited too long," he growled back, before he began to thrust.

Severus watched as her head thunked back against the wall as she felt his thrusts, watching her perfect curls tumble down the side of her face as she simultaneously closed her eyes and opened her mouth, issuing little moans of satisfaction.

His gaze focussed on her lips, and he leaned forward and captured one of them in his teeth, biting until he drew blood, but she just cried out and clung to him, the heat between them growing. She could barely feel anything apart from him thrusting inside her. Even the pain that resonated in her back from hitting the wall repetitively was overshadowed by the relief of him.

After a few minutes the position became a little uncomfortable for Severus, who had to hold her up. He slipped out of her and heard simultaneous groans at the movement. He took hold of her upper arm and led her over to the dining table, ignoring her attempts to touch by spinning her round and bending her over the table, before entering her hard.

Hermione reached out for the ends of the table, her knuckles turning white from the pressure burning in her body, so close to the edge but unable to seek her completion.

"I need more," she gasped out.

Severus raised an eyebrow at the back of her head, and then ran one hand down her back to her backside. He lifted his hand and brought it down on her plump cheeks with a loud smack that caused her to jerk and then come, her walls squeezing him so tightly that he had to still his movements to keep from coming then. He had waited far too long to allow it to finish so soon.

He leaned over her and wrapped her hair around one hand, lifting her head up to whisper dirty things in her ear that had her moaning again, her mind fuzzled by the intense orgasm that she had just had.

"You're such a dirty girl," he growled, his deep baritone sending shivers through her sweat covered body. "You like it when I fuck you, and spank you."

When he illiterated his point by spanking her bum twice very quickly, feeling her come once again. She screamed his name at the top of her voice, sending him over the edge and he emptied his seed into her willing body.

Before he could collapse from the exhaustion he pulled out of the beautiful woman draped over the table and sat on the chair by her head, amused by the tired yet content expression on her face.

"Why did you stop me every time?" she asked lazily.

"I wanted to make this a proper relationship," he said, his dark eyes fixated on her hazel ones. "If we had started to fuck again it would have ended up being a purely physical relationship, although enjoyable."

"I wouldn't have minded," she said, then yawned.

"You would have," he said quietly. "Come on, let's get you to bed."

Hermione managed to climb to her feet and was astonished when the snarky Professor literally swept her off her feet and into his arms, and carried her down to her room, where he deposited her on the bed.

"Stay with me?" She reached out for him.

Severus Snape, his heart beginning to open up to the young woman who was so endearing and stunning, was unable to resist her tired plea. He slipped into bed next to her and, although his back stiffened when she cuddled up next to him, placing her head on his chest, he allowed himself to relax and began to gently stroke her hair.

Within moments she was asleep.

As he held Hermione in his arms, he had to stifle a laugh of disbelief at the situation. For many, many years he had hidden himself away from the touch of love, his heart having been broken by a girl who was destined for another. However, now, with this foolhardy and infuriating Gryffindor, he was aware that for years he was mistaken with how love felt. He knew full well that the girl that was lying beside him was in love with him, and that he was beginning to feel the same way.

For three months now he had whisked her on numerous dates, daring to show the more romantic side of him that had remained dormant after the humiliation he had received once after bestowing Lily Evans with a bouquet of flowers at dinner once. Although his dark nature had shone through and had become prominent in his personality throughout the years, he found himself digging deep to his softer side in order to see her smile.

It both disgusted him and surprised him.

As he felt himself slowly drift off, he had a moment of complete ease and comfort, and he fell asleep with a smile on his face.

* * *

><p>I know it's a shorter one! I'm sorry. There just hasn't been the time. Please let me know if you thought it was worth the wait! I will endeavour to update quicker - reviews make me write quicker :)<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Sorry for the long delay! Been hectic! Just started university (got into my dream one so yay!)

Please enjoy and let me know what you think!

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><p>Hermione looked around her new dwelling and sighed. Ever since the cursed moment two weeks ago when her beautiful flat had been ransacked (the work of Voldemort Supporters, she presumed), her significant other had been glowering at her until she gave into his demands that she move in with him in his hillside cottage.<p>

She didn't like it.

It was a nice place, without a doubt, for some elderly couple who wished to have small vegetable plot in the garden. For although it was sparsely furnished, the rooms were rather on the petite side and the dark beams above, attractive to many, made her feel cramped and claustrophobic. The kitchen was relatively large as it had a dining table situated in it, but the tiles were red and the cupboards were dark, which refused to enhance the natural light.

"Severus!" She shouted through the cottage as she stood in the kitchen with her hands on her hips.

"What do you want now?" His annoyed tone preceded him as he entered the room, a dark scowl affixed firmly on his face.

"Can I redecorate?" Hermione pleaded. "If you expect me to live in this man-cave, you must allow me to furnish it differently."

He snarled at her.

"I'll do anything?" She offered, before immediately wishing that she hadn't said that.

"Fine, I will collect my payment," he said, a half-smirk on his lips.

Hermione pulled a face at his retreating back and then stood in the kitchen pursing her lips for a moment. She pulled out her wand and began to change aspects of the kitchen, transforming it into an ultra-sleek, modern black and white kitchen with a fashionable table, and quickly changed the oven to suit her preferences. Once she was positive that she liked the room, she moved onto the other rooms, thankful that she could change these things with just a flick of a wand.

Although she was still unhappy with the size of the rooms, she had redecorated so that it was much lighter and so the beams weren't so imposing. With a crafty flick she removed a wall and made one big lounge, instead of two small reception rooms.

She was happy.

* * *

><p>Later that evening, as they sat at the table and ate in silence, Hermione dared to break the quietness with a question that she had been desperate to ask for ages.<p>

"Why don't you like lingerie?"

Severus stopped eating, his fork halfway to his mouth.

"I just don't."

"Severus, all men love lingerie no matter what. There must be a reason," she pressed, before seeing a dark, yet forlorn look cross his face.

Severus Snape closed his eyes, and relived the horror of his past.

* * *

><p>-Flashback-<p>

"_Hey, lad, come on, we'll get you some!"_

_Severus, a seventeen year old boy, newly branded with the Dark Mark, looked up at the older men stood around him and attempted to form a smile. It went unnoticed by Lucius Malfoy and his cohorts, who essentially frogmarched him along the road and into a muggle brothel, where Severus was overwhelmed by the openness of the place._

_He was still a virgin, and when Rodolphus Lestrange discovered this, he had rounded up his friends for the teenager's initiation. Within seconds, Severus found himself shoved into a room with a double bed situated against the far wall. Whatever else was in the room he would have been unable to recall, because perched upon the bed was a young girl, the same age as him, with wide brown eyes and a beautiful face, barely covered by a corset and the tiniest little thong. _

_He was hard almost immediately, having never even been touched before by anyone else. It was like a dream come true for him as the girl walked over to him and grasped him through his trousers. He leaned forward to kiss her, but she dropped to her knees and began to pleasure him in ways that he had never thought would happen. Just as he was about to orgasm, however, she suddenly gagged and stopped moving._

"_Excuse me, are you okay?" A concerned Severus asked, catching hold of her head and moving it so he could look at her._

_It took him a moment to realise that all he was holding was her head; the rest of her body was on the floor. With a yell he let go of her head, watching in horror as it hit the floor and bounced a little, landing face up so her troubled eyes locked onto his, captivating him in their pain. _

_He fell to his knees beside the body and gagged, barely aware of the vicious laughter of the men behind him._

"_Awwww, look at him," the half-crazed voice of Rodolphus sounded through the numbness. "Good idea to use the severing charm, Lucius. Well played."_

_Severus was horribly aware of the fact that the whole ordeal had been planned, and he struggled to his feet, hiding his disgust behind a blank face. The others seemed sufficiently pleased at his reaction and his quick recovery. _

_He'd never been able to forget the decapitated head, or brought himself to experience the true pleasure of oral sex ever again._

_-end flashback-_

* * *

><p>Hermione watched his face turn a sickly pale colour, his normally seductive dark eyes overwhelming prominent and sunken as he relived his past. Before she could say anything to him, he pushed the food away and stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind him as he did so.<p>

Hermione stared at his carefully prepared meal, her heart aching but her eyes thankfully dry of the hurt she felt. It seemed that with him any progress was reduced by the merest utterance or movement. Severus Snape was too complicated for her. She adored him; she loved him, but she couldn't deal with him being so confusing all the time. It was with a heavy heart that she entered the bedroom that they shared, flicking her wand so that her clothes piled into a bag that she quickly hauled out from underneath the bed.

"I love you," she pressed a hand against the bathroom door that he had fled into and fought back the tears that had suddenly filled her eyes. "I'm sorry."

She hurried through the cottage, reaching the front door and opening, fighting the battle to stay or run.

"Where are you going?"

_Shit._

She slowly turned around, her face draining of colour as she saw his eyes flicker from the bag in her hand to the open door and realisation cross his face.

"If you want to go then go," he said, his voice scarily even.

"Severus, please, it's not what you think," Hermione pleaded, willing him to understand.

"Oh really? I think it's exactly what I think it is," he snarled at her, stepping towards her slowly but menacingly. "You're leaving me."

"Severus, I…"

"Fucking get out of my house, you bitch," his resolve broke and his anger was unleashed on her.

Hermione's face crumpled and she began to cry, sobbing openly at his harsh words as he laid into her with vicious sentences, breaking her heart with every word out of his mouth. She felt her legs give way and she fell to the floor, curling up into a ball and attempting to close her ears.

"Get out!" he yelled.

"Why are you always so horrible to me?" She cried out. "All I've ever been is nice to you and you are so cold back. I can't take it anymore!"

When she felt his presence directly over her she flinched.

"Oh, Hermione," his voice was softer as he spoke now. "I have never had someone love me as much as you do before. I just don't know how to act. I can't just suddenly open myself up emotionally to you after years of hiding myself away."

"I don't expect you to," Hermione's voice was muffled. "I just want you to treat me a bit nicer. I'm not expecting romance and roses, or even you to fall in love with me, but I can't take the unpredictability."

"I can change," he promised her, scoping her up in his arms and levitating her bag behind them as he took her into the bedroom. "I will try."

He laid her onto the bed and slowly undressed her, stripping her down to her lacy French knickers (it seemed as if her statement about not owning unsexy underwear had proven to be true) and then shifting her so he could slip on one of her silk nighties. She was much like a doll; he had to manipulate her limbs to achieve his goal, and she remained quiet the whole time through.

"Hermione," he said gently, cupping her face, turning her head so she could focus on his eyes. "I love you."

Her mouth opened and closed, her eyes filling with tears and her chin trembling. Severus dropped his head in frustration as she began to cry, her small hands grasping his shirt, her tears sliding down her cheeks and around her neck to settle in the crease of his elbow.

"I love you too," she finally managed to speak through her sobs.

Severus lifted his head up to look at the beautiful woman that he held so delicately in his arms. Her open face displayed her honesty and compassion and her love for him shined through her eyes.

"I've waited years to hear you say that," she smiled and laughed wetly.

"I've waited years to have someone to say it to," Severus said quietly. "I spent decades lusting after an image of a girl that I thought I love but I know now that I was only infatuated with her. It's you that I truly love, Hermione Granger."

"I can't get enough of you saying that," she sat up and looked straight at him. "Say it again!"

"I love you," he said, a rare flush crossing his face with his embarrassment. "I hope you know that I won't say it all the time. I'm not that sort of person."

Hermione laughed at the stiffness with which he delivered his declaration of love and crushed him in a hug that he fondly returned.

"Once a day would be enough," Hermione said.

"Once a day?!" He pulled back and suddenly adopted his traditional displeased expression. "Once a month if you're lucky."

"Severus, I want you to be the snarky, grumpy man around everyone else, but not around me," Hermione urged. "I want you to be passionate and giving, and loving and caring. I know that you cannot act like that all the time, but I want you to try. Be someone different around me; allow me to see your softer side."

"Hermione, I can't promise to be Prince Charming," Severus sighed. "I can promise I will try my best though. Does this mean that you're not leaving me?"

"I was never leaving you!" Hermione rolled her eyes. "I needed space because you're grumpy and you upset me."

Severus narrowed his eyes at her and she smiled consciously.

"Maybe we should move," Severus suggested.

"Move?"

"Yes, well, if you want your own space and I want my own laboratory then we need a bigger place," Severus said.

"Your own laboratory? You mean to tell me that you're going to announce that you are back to the world?!"

"Well, if I plan to marry you then of course," Severus shrugged.

"Is that a proposal?" Hermione asked, her eyes open wide.

"It's the best you're going to get from me."

"Definitely yes!" Hermione squealed and jumped on him, planting kisses all over his face. "I love you so much! Actually, it's lucky that you want to move into a bigger place because I think we might need it."

"Why's that?" He asked, pulling back from her as she looked sheepishly at him.

"Well, my period's late and I think I might be pregnant…"

"You fucking what?!"


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: It's late I know. I'm sorry. I've had some personal issues. Please keep in mind that this chapter was very difficult to write for me and it is also unbeta'd. The end of the chapter is probably of better quality.

It's also short but there will be another update in a couple of weeks.

Warning: This chapter may make you cry (made me cry writing it)

* * *

><p><em>1 year later.<em>

"Hello, Jeddy," Hermione cooed, opening her arms so that the spaniel could jump into her arms. "How are you, my baby?"

He licked her face furiously before jumping out of her embrace and dashing along the hallway, sliding a little on the wooden floor. Hermione laughed and followed the dog into the kitchen, where Severus was cooking dinner. She kissed her husband on the cheek before sitting down on the kitchen stool.

"How are you?" She asked, a little hesitant.

"Fine," he said.

Hermione opened her mouth to ask something else but stopped, noticing the way his shoulders were tensed up and how he hadn't yet looked at her. She fought down the emotion that threatened to rise within her but she couldn't help but remember how their relationship had deteriorated.

* * *

><p>-<em>flashback-<em>

"_I found us a new hous__e," Severus said, a rare smile upon his lips as he gazed at her._

"_When can we see it?" Hermione asked._

"_Now?"_

_She slapped his hands away as he attempted to help her from the chair. She rested her hand on her abdomen. It was curious. As soon as she had found out she was pregnant, Severus had changed. He was a completely different man; always there to help her and to keep her off her feet as much as possible. She was only seven weeks along, but they had already started house hunting and picking out colours for the nursery. Only a couple of weeks ago, Severus had hauled her along to the Ministry and made her an honest woman. As far as he was concerned, she wasn't going to give birth to his child without having his last name. It had been an rather entertaining day, as Severus wasn't technically alive, so waltzing into the Ministry asking for a marriage ceremony was unorthodox to say the very least. _

_It had included a fainting secretary, a weak-kneed Minister and a few blood tests to prove his identity. Finally they had left as husband and wife, with Severus' promise to always provide for her and their unborn baby. _

_The house that Severus had chosen was beautiful, situated near a local village which had very friendly people, but far enough away so that any magical occurrences wouldn't raise alarm. An old Victorian house, the rooms were spacious and tall, and the three bedrooms were large. A dining room ticked one of Hermione's boxes, as did the Master bedroom's en-suite. Severus was pleased with the amount of basement area, as that could easily be converted into a private lab. Quite simply the house was perfect for them. _

_Then it had happened._

_They had been at the new house for a short while, and had just had their first argument about Hermione working whilst pregnant. She had put her foot down and gone to work the next day, flooing into the Ministry's Atrium. Hermione hadn't paid attention to the scuffle that was happening near the fountain as she walked over to the elevator; sometimes the Aurors struggled to subdue a prisoner. Her back had been turned, so she didn't see the spell come towards her, but it had knocked her off her feet and caused her to fall forward. She didn't have time to react and her entire front hit the stone cold floor. _

_A horrifying wetness had spread from between her legs, and she had reached down, her hand smearing the blood that was leaking from her. She had reached her blood-stained hand out to the nearest stranger and whispered, 'help', _

_Then she had fainted._

_-end flashback-_

* * *

><p>Their baby had been lost that day, and they had suffered every day since. Hermione wished that she listened to her husband and had resigned from her position when they had argued about it but the stubbornness in her had refused. She hadn't even cried and neither had he.<p>

"Severus, I'm going to leave."

That finally caused a reaction. He spun around, his dark eyes focussing on hers, fear and loathing contained within. He held himself stiffly, trying desperately not to react and then briefly nodded to her.

"Is that it?" Tears stung her eyes. "You're not even going to ask me not to go?"

"It's your choice." His voice was monotonous.

She shrieked, all the emotion that she had held in her bubbled over and exploded. She leapt off the stool and ran to him, thumping her fists against his chest as she sobbed, desperate for him to hold her like he used to. Desperate for him to forgive her for her mistake in choosing to work because she couldn't. That guilt was there, knowing that she had lost their baby, that she had been stupid enough to work.

"I love you! I fucking love you," She cried out. She slid down to the floor, kneeling at his feet. She hadn't heard him say those words to her since before they had argued all those months ago. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't listen to you. I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to keep our baby. I'M SO FUCKING SORRY!"

She was barely aware of movement but suddenly he was in front of her, their knees touching, He grasped her chin in his hand and gently eased her head up so that she could look in his eyes.

"It's not your fault," he whispered to her. "It was never your fault. I never blamed you."

She broke, collapsing into his waiting arms, soaking the front of his shirt. Her hair was splattered with his tears as he wept along with her. In that moment, they were stripped to only feeling raw emotion. All the pain was there, wrapping itself around them and drowning them.

"I love you," he choked out.

"I love you too," Hermione kissed him, their tears mingling.

Neither of them were sure how it happened, but the kiss changed its intensity. Suddenly they were clinging to each other, hastily unbuttoning shirts and ripping off panties until he was buried inside her, on top of her. It hurt, because she was definitely not prepared for him, but her mind craved the comfort, so she wrapped her legs around him and urged him to thrust. It was fast and rough, their clothes half-ripped off their bodies, their sweat mixing until they were both slick. When her orgasm hit her, Hermione was ill-prepared. It was sudden, overtaking her entire body as she screamed her release, clutching desperately to her husband as he emptied himself inside her. It was over in a matter of minutes.

When she finally calmed down, she was aware that she was still clinging to him. Hermione slowly unwrapped her arms and he pulled back enough to look into her eyes. He was still inside her but she didn't want him to leave.

"I never blamed you," He said, his voice raw. "I just didn't know what to do."

"I thought you blamed me," Hermione admitted, her eyes filling up again.

"I could never blame you," he kissed her softly.

"Can we try and be a couple again?" Hermione asked. "I want to be your wife again."

He nodded, swallowing to hold back the tears. Severus finally pulled out of her, helping her to her feet before pulling her close to him and holding her tightly.

"I don't want you to ever leave," he said.

"I don't want to leave."

Hermione looked down at her clothes and laughed. Her skirt was hanging on by a thread and her shirt was ripped in such a way that she had one breast exposed. He was in a similar state of disarray.

As she glanced down at their clothes and then up at her husband's face again, she felt something that she hadn't felt in a long time.

Hope.

* * *

><p><em>Several months later.<em>

Hermione stood at the entrance to the room, her eyes wide as she looked at the sheer amount of people in the room. It was ministry fundraiser, and she was only there because the fundraiser was for one of her closest friends, Harry. After Hogwarts, he had quickly risen to the top of the Auror Department, and had, for a few years, successfully managed the team to hit record numbers of arrests and consequential convictions. Now, the Boy-Who-Lived was running for Minister of Magic, and he was winning by far. Hermione caught sight of him, and he took her breath away. He looked so different from how he used to.

He had finally managed to tame his hair and last year had the wizarding equivalent of laser eye surgery so his beautiful green eyes could be seen. His black suit was tailored and he was flanked by the absolutely beautiful Ginny Weasley, who was dressed in a deep purple strapless dress that lightly skimmed the floor.

"Are you ready for this?" Severus looked at her and offered one of his rare smiles.

He was aware that since Hermione's miscarriage she had barely contacted her school friends. In fact, it had been almost a year since she had last seen Harry, Ron or Ginny. Her heart was thudding rapidly in her chest and she grasped Severus' hand for comfort.

"Don't panic, you look beautiful and they will forgive you," Severus soothed.

He looked handsome himself. Dressed in a suit that perfectly fit his frame, with his hair shining (Hermione had developed her own shampoo for his naturally greasy locks) and his face brighter than usual, it wasn't difficult to realise the attraction that he held for Hermione. Hermione herself was clad in a black dress with white detailing that fell just below her knees. The straps were thick and her hair was pinned up. A slightly grimace crossed her face as Severus began to steer her into the room. She attempted to move towards her work colleagues to stall seeing him, but Severus instead kept a firm hand on her and led her straight to Harry and Ginny, who were currently laughing and conversing with possible donators.

"Mr and Mrs Potter," Severus greeted them.

Harry looked at him and then at Hermione. There was a moment of silence, where the donators clearly sensed the tension and tactfully moved away from the group, allowing them a few minutes of privacy.

"You made it."

His voice was quiet, barely audible over the music and background chatter, but Hermione heard it clearly. It was obvious that those three words held a year's worth of disbelief, of disappointment when she hadn't shown up before to these important events.

"I couldn't miss this," Hermione said, swallowing. "Harry, can we talk?"

Severus stepped forward and offered Ginny his hand, whisking her away to dance on the spacious floor. Harry and Hermione stepped closer and they began to dance, ignoring the other people as they swayed from side to side.

"Still a terrible dancer, I see," Hermione said lightly.

"You never replied to me for almost a year," Harry said, ignoring the small talk. "What the hell happened, Hermione? I hear random rumours about you marrying Snape of all people, who is supposed to be dead, and then you drop off the face of the Earth."

"Harry, I," Hermione paused and then began to speak again, her voice raw with emotion. "I had been seeing Severus for a while but he wasn't ready to tell the world that he was still alive. I found him in a pub that night that I left Ron and things just happened. The reason that I disappeared for while…"

She stopped, blinking back tears. Although it had been almost a year since the miscarriage, it was still incredibly painful to think about it. Since their breakdown, she and Severus had sat down at least once a week and discussed it, making sure that their feelings were out in the open and they weren't hiding away from each other anymore. It had brought them closer, and they had regularly been talking together and had even begun to make love once again.

"I found out I was pregnant."

"You have a child?" Harry said excitedly. "Boy or girl?"

"Harry," She said sadly, and his face fell. "I went back to work when I found out and then one day, the Aurors were struggling with a prisoner. He managed to hold of a wand and shot a random spell. It hit me, I fell over and hit the floor and lost the baby."

Her voice broke at the end. Harry's face echoed her pain.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry. I was in charge of that prisoner. I was told that someone had been hurt but I didn't know what had happened. If I hadn't had lost control of him..."

His face twisted in anguish and Hermione pulled him close and hugged him. Tears fell from both of their eyes as they sobbed into each other's shoulder.

"I didn't talk to Severus for months," she confided. "I blamed myself and I thought he did as well. I didn't even cry. It was only a short while ago when I told him that I was going to leave him that we finally talked it out and actually were able to cry. We're slowly picking up the pieces of our marriage. It's hard, but he's worth it."

"Does he treat you right?" Harry asked, wiping away the tears from his eyes.

"He's fantastic," Hermione smiled, having stopped crying. She was grateful that the make-up that she wore was waterproof or she would have looked a state. "He's still his usual snarky self but I love that about him. We can sit together at night and discuss scholarly journals about potions and other subjects."

"It sounds…" Harry struggled for a word. "Boring. It sounds boring."

"We can't all have a life like you and Ginny!" Hermione said. "Spending your spare time flying around on broomsticks chucking balls at each other. Besides, it may sound boring but that's because you haven't heard about our sex life."

"Ew!"

Harry pulled away from her and shook his head vigorously.

"Harry, I hope that we can be friends again," Hermione said seriously.

"We never stopped being friends," He took her hand. "Hermione, you've been one of my best friends for years and just because you've had issues and didn't want to talk about them doesn't stop us from being friends. I love you."

"And I love you," Hermione replied.

They embraced tightly and then kissed each other on the cheek.

"You have my support," Hermione said. "We'll put some money forward for your campaign."

"Thank you," Harry pulled away at the approach of their significant others.

"We should be heading off," Severus said.

Hermione looked uncertainly at Ginny.

"Dinner at ours next Tuesday?" The redhead asked.

"Absolutely," Hermione answered.

They smiled at each other and both of them knew that their friendship was repaired.

* * *

><p><em>The Next Morning<em>

Hermione placed the knut in the owl's pouch and took the Daily Prophet from where it was strapped around it's leg. She offered it a piece of her toast which it devoured and then watched as it flew out of the open kitchen window. She unfolded the paper and her eyes were instantly drawn to the picture on the front page, which was surprisingly of her and Harry.

It was the moment from last night when they had embraced and then kissed each other on the cheek. She was bemused by the significance of this picture until her eyes drifted upwards to read the headline.

**THE BOY WHO LIVED AND KRUM'S EX ARE HAVING A SECRET AFFAIR!**

_**Last night, at Harry Potter's fundraiser, one, Mrs Hermione Snape, formally known as Hermione Granger, danced intimately with the contender for the Minister's role and then they declared their love for one another.**_

"Fuck!"

* * *

><p>AN: I would appreciate it if someone could help me shape it because I'm aware that it is of horrendous quality compared to normal. Message me if you think you can help.


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